August 2017

Additive Manufacturing Highlighted in Defense Bill
As Congress authors the upcoming U.S. Department of Defense Authorization bill, additive manufacturing (AM) is expected to receive considerable attention. For example, efforts by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee and was recently named chair of the Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, has included language to promote AM.

According to the (Plattsburgh, NY) Press-Republican, Stefanik's language would direct the secretary of defense to brief the House Committee on Armed Services annually on AM developments. The briefing is to include information on plans to develop military-AM standards and to integrate AM capabilities into the department's depots, arsenals and shipyards.
The article goes on to describe AM efforts at Norsk Titanium, which has operations in Stefanik's home district. Read more.

Learn from LAI International's additive manufacturing experts on the critical design considerations for parts made with metal additive manufacturing systems in a production environment. As additive manufacturing continues to mature from a fad to a robust production process, complementary methods of designing for additive manufacturing need to develop.

FABTECH 2017 Adds Additive-Manufacturing Pavilion
Additive Manufacturing is one of the fastest-growing technologies of the 21st century and FABTECH has taken notice. To accommodate the increasing interest in this technology, FABTECH has added a new 3D/Additive Manufacturing Pavilion. For more information about the pavilion and for exhibiting opportunities, click here.

Women in Manufacturing Annual Summit
WiM will hold its 7th annual SUMMIT at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, CT, on September 13-15, 2017. More than 300 women are expected to attend the three-day conference that is specifically designed to support, promote and inspire women in the manufacturing industry. Register.

You Ought to Know

3D Printing Proves Its Worth in Efficiency Improvement
3D printing, along with the Industrial Internet of Things and other technologies, represents the latest development in the evolution of manufacturing. That evolution is traced in an article at Engineering.com. Providing insight into just how powerful a tool AM can be is Paul Browning, president and CEO of Mitsubishi-Hitachi Power Systems Americas.

"The largest gas turbines we sell are about $50 million each," he says, "and a one-percent improvement in efficiency saves our customers about $100 million. That's part of the reason why we're early adopters of additive manufacturing—it creates so much value for our customers."Read more.

3D Metal Printing Mobile App Delivers the Latest on Metal AM3D Metal Printing magazine's mobile app, 3D Metal Printing, brings the latest in metal additive-manufacturing (AM) news directly to readers' smart phones and tablets. The app is available for free through the Apple AppStore and Google Play, and features magazine articles, industry news, conference registration and more from 3DMP.

A Metal-AM Industry Expert Peers Toward the Future
The digitization of manufacturing; use of automation to drive enhancements to quality and machine utilization; and education initiatives all are coming together to help move 3D metal printing out of the R&D lab and into mainstream manufacturing.

Quick Simulation Pays Dividends
Able to rapidly assess part buildability and performance, simulation software is an ideal addition to any AM user's toolkit.